Day parole granted in Canada "mercy killing" case

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A Canadian farmer
convicted of the "mercy killing" of his severely handicapped
daughter won day parole on Wednesday, with officials saying
there was little chance he would kill again.

A National Parole Board appeals board delivered a stinging
rebuke to officials who had refused to grant Robert Latimer day
parole last year on the grounds that he could not, or would
not, explain why he took his daughter's life.

"Your responses at the hearing reveal that you did in fact
demonstrate insight and were able to explain why you decided to
end the life of your daughter after thirteen years of caring
for her," the latest appeals panel wrote.

In a case that sparked national debate on euthanasia, the
Saskatchewan farmer was convicted of the 1993 killing of his
daughter Tracy, who was born with cerebral palsy and was
severely disabled, and had the mental capacity of a 4-month-old
baby.

He maintained he killed his daughter out of love and
necessity, but advocates for the disabled opposed calls for
leniency and argued the girl was not as handicapped as he
maintained.

Latimer, 44, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance
of parole for 10 years.

"It was time for Robert Latimer and his family to have an
uptick in their lives and this is it," said Jason Gratl, of the
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which had helped
represent Latimer in the parole hearings.

The appeals board said there was no undue risk that Latimer
would re-offend, but it did order that he not have any
responsibility for the care of anyone who is severely disabled.